The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Duecoredxe2x80x99.
The new Poinsettia is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of the commercial Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Liberty Bright Red, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,763. The new Poinsettia was discovered and selected by the Inventor in a greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany.
Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal cuttings taken at Rheinberg, Germany, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Duecoredxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Duecoredxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct variety:
1. Bright red flower bracts.
2. Flat to slightly concave flower bracts that are held horizontal or angled slightly upright with respect to stem axis.
3. Very dark green foliage.
4. Freely branching plant habit.
5. Good postproduction longevity.
Plants of the new Poinsettia and the parent cultivar Liberty Bright Red differ primarily in flower bract coloration as flower bracts of the new Poinsettia are more intense and brighter red than flower bracts of the parent cultivar. In addition, plants of the new Poinsettia develop more cyathia per inflorescence than plants of the Liberty Bright Red.
Plants of the new Poinsettia differ from plants of other naturally-occurring branch mutations of xe2x80x98Liberty Bright Redxe2x80x99, namely the cultivars Duecohopi and Duecowi (U.S. Plant Patent applications filed concurrently with this application) primarily in flower bract coloration.
Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the Poinsettia cultivar 490, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,825. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany, flower bracts of plants of the new Poinsettia are smaller and lighter red in color than flower bracts of plants of the cultivar 490.